Urban and Regional Planning Graduate Certificate

The Certificate of Graduate Study (COGS) on Urban and Regional Planning is being offered by the Department of Geography, Planning, and Sustainability at Rowan University. The COGS requires 9 semester hours.

What is the Urban and Regional Planning COGS?

The Certificate of Graduate Study (COGS) introduces students to theory and practice of Urban and Regional Planning. Students will survey the discipline’s history and major theoretical advancements before achieving an in-depth understanding of environmental and community planning practices. Students will also learn the major regulatory frameworks operating in the State of New Jersey as well as nationally recognized ethical principles to guide a successful career in planning.

Application

To apply, please visit: https://apply-global.rowan.edu/apply/

*Note: Applicants to the certificate should either apply through the button for “Graduate Applicants (Domestic)” or “Graduate Applicants (International).”

For more information, contact: 
Kevin Keenan, Ph.D., AICP
Associate Professor & Department Chairperson
keenankp@rowan.edu

Requirements

Declaration Requirements

Students must have completed a bachelor’s degree in any field from an accredited
college or university.

Curriculum Requirements

Students must take three of the four courses below – 9 s.h. total:

• PLAN 31580 Introduction to Planning: Past, Present, and Future (3 s.h.)
• PLAN 31589 Environmental/Sustainable Planning (3 s.h.)
• PLAN 31685 Planning Practice, Law, and Ethics (3 s.h.)
• PLAN 31686 Community Planning & Site Design (3 s.h.)

Course Descriptions

PLAN 31580: Introduction to Planning: Past, Present, and Future 3 s.h.

This course focuses on the comprehension, representation, and use of ideas and information in the planning field, including appropriate perspectives from history, social science, and the design professions. Course content offers the primary reasons planning is undertaken by communities, cities, regions, and nations, and the impact planning is expected to have. Specific topics include history of human settlements, planning history, planning theory, global dimensions of planning, and planning processes to influence the future.

PLAN 31589: Environmental/Sustainable Planning 3 s.h.
Prerequisite: PLAN 31580

This course offers a broad understanding of sustainability and environmental factors in planning from a local to global perspective. It explores environmental, economic, and social/political factors that contribute to sustainable communities, and investigates the role of planning processes in the creation of sustainable futures. The course examines planning’s implications on individual and community health within the built environment. Course materials also discuss key issues in equity, diversity, and social justice that emphasize the planner's role in expanding choice and opportunity for all.

PLAN 31685: Planning Practice, Law, and Ethics 3 s.h.
Prerequisite: PLAN 31580

This three-module course prepares students for the professional planning field by introducing topics related to planning practice, planning law, and planning ethics. The first module is focused on the roles of officials, stakeholders, and community members in planned change. It also introduces economic, infrastructure, social, and cultural factors to urban and regional growth and change. The second module provides legal and institutional contexts within which planning occurs. The final module presents key issues of planning ethics and related questions of the ethics of public decision-making, research, and client representation.

PLAN 31686: Community Planning & Site Design 3 s.h.
Prerequisite(s): PLAN 31580 and PLAN 31589

This course introduces various planning methods applied in community planning, community engagement, and community design activities by using a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) framework. The course content focuses on spatial or physical planning topics such as the design, arrangement, appearance, and functionality of building sites, neighborhoods, towns and cities, as well as the shaping and uses of safe public spaces. The course also explores sustainable design principles, techniques, and practices related to spatial or physical planning. Students explore design elements at both macro and micro scales and learn to incorporate those elements in workable urban design projects and community plans.